The Waterway Cruisers restarted service on a limited basis on Dec. 8, but after needed repairs and equipment issues continued, the service was shut down for good in February. Woodlands Township officials are seeking options to replace the service. less

The Waterway Cruisers restarted service on a limited basis on Dec. 8, but after needed repairs and equipment issues continued, the service was shut down for good in February. Woodlands Township officials are ... more

Photo: Courtesy Photo, Waterway Events LLC

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A Waterway Cruiser makes its way down the waterway in this Villager file photograph. The service was suspended indefinitely in late February after the operator of the service could not continue to maintain the boats. less

A Waterway Cruiser makes its way down the waterway in this Villager file photograph. The service was suspended indefinitely in late February after the operator of the service could not continue to maintain the ... more

Photo: Staff photo by Eric S. Swist

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The exterior of "The Puffy" Waterway Cruiser seen in this Villager file photo. None of the six water taxis are in service after officials with The Woodlands Township and the operator of the crafts agreed to end their service agreement. less

The exterior of "The Puffy" Waterway Cruiser seen in this Villager file photo. None of the six water taxis are in service after officials with The Woodlands Township and the operator of the crafts agreed to end ... more

Photo: Staff photo by Eric S. Swist

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Is the sun setting on The Woodlands water taxis?

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When Camryn Gray begins her day as a server at Landry's Seafood in The Woodlands, she usually catches glimpses of the community's water taxis docked across the bank from the restaurant. She has not had a chance to take a ride on one yet, but she says locals love them.

"I think they complete the (Woodlands) Waterway," she said.

The seafood restaurant sits on the edge of the picturesque 1.4 mile man-made waterway, making the water taxis a regular topic of interest for diners on the patio.

But it's possible the water taxis have taken their last evening cruise around the waterway.

After operations were suspended following Hurricane Harvey, the Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau voted Wednesday, Feb. 28, to terminate an agreement with a third-party operator, which said the storm had caused severe damage to the vessels. Waterway Events, LLC had operated the water taxis for two years.

Now officials in The Woodlands will consider if the Waterway Cruisers - touted as a transit option for shoppers, a lure for tourists and a service for corporate events - are worth salvaging or replacing.

The bigger problem may be that water taxis, built to operate 10 to 15 years and maintained with hard-to-get parts, have exceeded their intended life span.

"We are in the process of determining the residual value of the boats while investigating other opportunities to provide watercraft service on The Woodlands Waterway," said Nick Wolda, the visitors bureau president. "While the boats have been an iconic symbol in the history of The Woodlands Waterway, they have come to the end of their useful role. At this point we believe it's not feasible or suitable to try to return them to passenger service."

'Aging fleet'

After Harvey struck the Houston area, the vessels went on a four-month hiatus, only resuming limited operation in December. Operators said the boats had taken on a lot of water, which damaged electrical parts.

But Brazos Transit District officials, who assessed the vessels' performance and equipment, said the boats were already showing signs of wear and tear. Harvey may have only exposed their frailty.

"The issue is one of the boats' being beyond its life cycle," said John McBeth, president of the transit district, noting that the vessels were only meant to provide service for about 15 years. "Our position is that the units can be brought up to a like-new standard but the cost per-unit would make that unreasonable for a boat that is this old and has seen this much service."

One reason for the high cost of repairs is they were specially built and most of the mechanical parts - motors, generators, pumps and the like - are not available because they were unique to the boats, he said. Efforts to revive the operation proved to be unsuccessful.

According to records, motors could cost anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 to replace.

The six 35-foot-long water taxis now sit idle, tied down and docked at their marina along the waterway. At their peak, the cruisers - named Cynthia, George, Lone Star, Puffy, Waterway and Dreamer - were in constant motion along the waterway. The water taxis drew 53,408 riders in 2008, but the number had dropped to about 35,000 a year as of 2015, a fall attributed in part to decisions to charge fares and to reduce the days and number of boats in operation.

In recent years, it wasn't uncommon for maintenance crews to use parts from one cruiser to refurbish another - making it rare to see more than two operating at once.

Residents are split on what The Woodlands' visitors bureau should do.

Some, like Gray, believe that the water taxis complete the waterway and should resume operations somehow. Others like Monica Rodriguez, who lives and works in The Woodlands, believes the community should scrap them and look at other options.

They provided another means for workers, residents and visitors to move among the shops, restaurants, offices and residential units in the heart of The Woodlands, a planned community that dates back to 1974. They were initially operated by Fort Lauderdale-based Water Taxi, Inc., before being given to The Woodlands Development Company. The developer operated the boats until 2011, when they were gifted to the visitors bureau.

The vessels gave leaders in The Woodlands the means to begin a sponsorship program and catering and marketing services. But soon after the visitors bureau took over, it was reported that ridership had been on a decline since 2008, dipping more than 45 percent.

The boats were also beginning to show their age.

Faced with ridership declines and costly repairs, the visitors bureau reduced the hours of operation while the township agreed to allocate 1 percent of its hotel occupancy tax revenue toward repairs. The aim was to increase the number of passengers to 100,000 a year from the 40,000 to 50,000 passengers each year and to move to a break-even or revenue-neutral position; those goals were never achieved.

More setbacks arose in 2014, when questions arose about the use of federal transportation dollars to repair the water taxis, widely considered more of a tourist attraction than a way to move commuters.

The Woodlands Township, which represents the master-planned community's 117,000 residents, voted against accepting a federal transportation grant to improve the vessels.

'Future attractions'

In the coming weeks, The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau plans to take a fresh look at the operations and maintenance.

"They are all in need of extensive updates which will be expensive," McBeth said. "The life cycle of these boats was only 10 to 15 years so they are all beyond their useful life. It will be up to the CVB to determine the future of this fleet and the operations on the Waterway."

In addition to terminating their agreement with Waterway Events and returning the vessels to the visitors bureau, board members authorized the president to explore ways either to salvage the vehicles for future use or liquidate assets.

While exploring both short term and long-term options, the visitors bureau, a nonprofit entity, will be working with the Brazos Transit District, which has been involved in the operation and maintenance of the Waterway Cruisers since their inception and which owns the existing maintenance facility on Lake Robbins, to make a full assessment.

Bruce Rieser, chairman of the visitors bureau, said it will seek a solution that makes sense for the community.

"We will endeavor to find a strong, viable, collective solution with development, investment, and interested entities to bring excitement and functionality to one of The Woodlands most prized assets, The Woodlands Waterway," he said.